Guest Blog Post: How the Internet Can Be Your Friend in Tutoring

How the Internet Can Be Your Friend in Tutoring

By John Surico, HeyKiki.com

In an earlier post, we mentioned that you should bring your laptop or some sort of computer to the lessons, strictly for research purposes. But, in an age where education is rapidly being digitized, a tutor must embrace the Internet as an academic ally, not a distracting pest. In that sense, the Web can be great for your lessons. Here’s why:

1.   REFERENCE

No matter how much you argue it, it’s indisputable at this point that the Internet has the answer to pretty much every question in the book, sans “what is life?” Whether it’s Google, Wikipedia or even AskJeeves, that awkward moment when your student asks you something you are unsure of the answer to is now easily erased. Also, it makes for a great dictionary and thesaurus.

       2. FUN

FYI: we’re not talking about Angry Birds. To supplement your lessons, games can be a great way for your student to learn the material in an unconventional way. Sometimes, that is the best method to learn. Just make sure your student doesn’t get too comfortable; all that fun can take away from the main lesson at hand.

3.  VIDEOS

One amazing way to transmit a lesson plan on a specific subject is to watch a video on that area of study. Enter YouTube. Here’s a great example: for tutoring lessons in history, there are countless time lapse videos to watch, like the ‘Rise and Fall of Rome,’ ‘History of Europe in 60 Seconds,’ and a whole bunch of others. These can be wonderful graphics to get a snapshot of your lesson in visual form.

So, do not be weary of the Internet. But keep in mind that the Internet cannot be your be-all and end-all in lessons; you are a tutor, after all. For any lessons, instructors or other tutor-related activities, check us out at HeyKiki. Now, time to start learning!

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About John Surico

Hailing from Long Island, John is a recent transplant to New York. On a typical Wednesday night, you can find him walking around, staring up at the skyscrapers.